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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25655194">Sparring</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsAstronaut/pseuds/MsAstronaut'>MsAstronaut</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Old Guard (Movie 2020), Warrior Nun (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, M/M, Sparring, but not really, goodness I still don't know how to use ao3, kind of a crackfic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 02:26:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>965</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25655194</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsAstronaut/pseuds/MsAstronaut</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Just a simple sparring session between an immortal former Crusader and the current Halo-bearer. </p>
<p>or: just a The Old Guard/Warrior Nun drabble</p>
<p>or:</p>
<p>Ava knew she should be honoured. </p>
<p>(Lilith didn’t hesitate to remind her every five minutes)</p>
<p>And she was. Honoured, that is.</p>
<p>After all, not everyone - not even every Warrior Nun - has the privilege to train with the one and only Nicolo di Genova, legendary warrior and a close friend to Areala herself.</p>
<p>But when she hit the ground, again, at least three more cuts on her skin and with some of her blood decorating the earth beneath them, it was hard to anything else than pain - much less being honoured.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ava Silva &amp; Nicolo Di Genova, background Joe/Nicky - Relationship, background Sister Beatrice/Ava SIlva</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>131</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Sparring</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I don't know what this is. I needed WN/TOG in my life so I wrote it.</p>
<p>Cheers</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Ava knew she should be honoured. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>(Lilith didn’t hesitate to remind her every five minutes)</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And she was. Honoured, that is.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>After all, not everyone - not even every Warrior Nun - has the privilege to train with the one and only Nicolo di Genova, legendary warrior and a close friend to Areala herself.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But when she hit the ground, again, at least three more cuts on her skin and with some of her blood decorating the earth beneath them, it was hard to anything else than pain - much less being honoured.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>At least he waited for her to get up. He was kind like that, much kinder than Lilith, in Ava’s opinion. He didn’t chastise her, or correct her language. He gave her useful tips, praised her progress. Ava could swear that she even saw the corner of his mouth rise up at some of her puns. But being kind and beating the absolute shit out of her were not mutually exclusive. Truth to be told, she should’ve realized that after her training with Camila (the girl could shoot her with a crossbow while wearing a megawatt smile on her face).</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>With a groan, she got up from the ground and dusted herself off. She picked up the Cruciform Sword (Nicky insisted on training with it) and span it around in her hand - a trick Andy accidentally taught her and one she can’t stop doing, much to the annoyance of others -  before speaking up, exhaustion clear in her voice despite the humorous tone:</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I guess you caught me </span>
  <em>
    <span>old guard </span>
  </em>
  <span>there”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ava looked prouder of herself than she should be. Glancing sideways, she noticed Joe laughing and Beatrice smiling in reaction. Even her sparring partner smiled lightly. Which, obviously, made her even more proud. The two were observing Nicky and her spar for a while now. Ava found the presence of Beatrice slightly - or not so slightly - distracting. Nicky laughed at her when he noticed, and said something about having to train in a distracting environment in order to become better.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>At least only the two of them were present to watch her humiliation (even though the former Crusader insisted that she was making progress). Andy was nowhere to be found, similarly to Mary. The two were similar in the fact that they liked to walk their own paths, even if those paths led them both to a local bar. Nile was chatting with Lilith and Camila - just when she made peace with the whole immortality thing, she found out there are other dimensions and actual demons. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nicky offered to help her train the day they met. He knew Areala himself, they rode to many battles together. Nicky knew how important Ava’s title was and what weight it carried. He felt an obligation to help her successor. Joe helped out too sometimes, offering advice and teaching her other techniques. Ava didn’t dare ask Andy after the Scythian kicked her off a cliff for making a bad pun. Nile was an excellent fighter, but wasn’t that familiar with swords, so Ava stuck with Nicky.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>This wasn’t their first spar. It wasn’t even the first hour of this spar. Nicky taught her several fighting stances, blocks and attacks before raising his sword against her, but he might as well have taught her nothing, as the moment she raised her sword and moved into a fighting position, she was on the ground. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Again. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ava groaned and didn’t get up for a moment.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Ava?” Beatrice’s voice reached her, concern lacing her words.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m fine. I’m fine” She responded lazily and forced herself up once again. “I spent over a decade lying down - I guess old </span>
  <em>
    <span>habits </span>
  </em>
  <span>die hard.” Turning to her opponent, she added “How are you so good at that?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nicky shrugged, a small but smug smile playing on his lips “A millennia of training”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Great, grandpa. Any tips?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The man didn’t look offended. Instead he said “Your moves are predictable. Surprise me”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I have to do something you won’t expect, yes?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nicky nodded in answer. A mischievous smile crossed Ava’s face. Beatrice muttered a ‘oh no’ under her breath, knowing that that smile never meant anything good.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Inquisición!” Ava suddenly yelled, and swung her sword down, effectively knocking out Nicky’s weapon out of his hand. The man was too surprised at the sudden outburst to react when his opponent kicked his legs from under him, the Halo giving her enough of a boost to even crack a bone. Once he recovered, Nicky was lying on his back, had the Cruciform Sword aimed at his neck and a very proud-looking Ava smiling down at him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition” she gave as an explanation at his baffled look. He raised his hands in a yield, allowing her the satisfaction of winning even though he knew at least a dozen ways to overpower her from his position.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Beatrice, meanwhile was stuck between groaning at how bad that was and laughing out loud. She settled on the former. “That was horrible. Don’t do that in an actual fight” she said, regaining her breath. At least her companion in viewing chuckled as well. She didn’t know Joe watched Monty Python, but Beatrice supposed she shouldn’t be surprised.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ava raised her fist in a burst of happiness “Hell yeah!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Language-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I totally beat your ass there, Nicolo”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Language, Ava” Beatrice repeated, but the proud smile on her face undermined the gentle scolding.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Getting up, Nicky couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm “You did. It’s what, now? Three hundred to one?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The Halo-bearer rolled her eyes, her enthusiasm not dying down in the slightest. Nicky picked up his weapon, dusted himself off and called the end of the sparring session. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>…</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Just on the record, Nicky and I did expect the Spanish Inquisition” </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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